Shotgun shell



Jan. 13, 1931. a. F. SCHMIDT 1,738,637

' SHOTGUN SHELL Filed April 18. 1927 Iii .1 Fl .3 Jr E5302 3 F' 4 FC/ J 0 75 b I Fl; 6 3

INVENTOR. B -1 Schmidt "Q mm ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1931 warren stares Mam-enter BENJAMIN F. SCHMIDT, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNCR TO SCHMIDT BROD- UCTS, INCORPORATED, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CGRPOB ATIQN OF MICHIGAN l SHOTGUN SHELL Application filed April 18,1327. Serial No. 1%,537.

This invention relates to the ammunition H art and particularly to cartridges or shells used 1n connection w1th shot guns.

The object of the invention is to produce a cartridge which will have introduced into the wrapper or base thereof certain friction means which will hold the shell from sliding out of the breech of a double barreled or like type of shot gun when the same is being loaded, without in any way interfering with i exce t b holdin the barrel at an inclina- P Y e tion projecting above or below the top edge of the blind. When held at this inclination the present-day commonly used loaded shellstend to slip out of the open ends of the breech by gravity, and this makes it very hard to properly load the gun from within the blind and necessitates the shooter standing up so that he may break the gun above the level of the blind to either hold the barrel of the gun parallel with or at a downward inclination to the horizon so he can drop the shells into position without their tending to fall out of the barrel. This causes a great deal of inconvenience and loss of time, and also many times tends to frighten away approaching game, and is a condition which is found very objectionable to most hunters.

My improved invention, however, is designed to provide a friction means on the base or wrapping of the shell which will hold the loaded shells in frictional contact with the sides of the barrels of the gun and prevent their tending to slide out by gravity, but which will under the pressure caused by the explosion of the shell flatten or be eradicated so as not to interfere with the easy ejecting of the shells from the breech of the gun either in a double barreled, pump or automatic gun.

'a certain resilient friction which will be just A further object of the invention is to produ'cea simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

-These objects I accomplishby means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal-of the following specification and claims.

in the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: H i

Fig; 1 is aside elevation of a shot gun shell showing the preferred form of my invention in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a'line. 2 2 of Fig. '1. I

Figs. 3, 4, 5, andG are side elevations of shells showing slightly modified forms in which my improved inventioncould be applied to the shell. i

Referring now moreparticularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the

numeral 1 designates the usual metal base of the shell and the numeral 2 the upper cardboard wrapped portion of the shell.

My improved invention consists of a series of slight protuberances or swells 3 formed preferably in the base 1 of the shell and made by cutting small slots 4 in the surface of the base and then pressing out the material on thefloutside' of the slot to form the protuherances 3. Theseprotuberances will be very slight but when the shell is being forced into the breech of the gun, will have greatenough to prevent the shell from tending to drop out of the breech of the gun by gravity. lVith the explosion of the shell however these will be instantly flattened outwith the pressure of theexplosion so as not to interfere with the ready ejecting of the shell from'any type of gun.

While the friction means shown willbe entirely sufficient to prevent the shell from tending to drop by gravity from the breech of the gun under the conditions noted in the preamble to this specification, still the size and shape thereof will not-be sufficient to interfere withthe rapid loading of any breech loading gun, or interfere with the "Fig. .5 the protuberances 3c are for-med by slightly swelling out the cardboard Wrapping ofthe shell rather than the metal'base.

These modified forms as disclosed give a slight idea of how various modifications .of the exact form of construction of the friction means may be had without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to confine myself to any particular method of manufacture :of the shell -.embodyin-g my invention, since, as is obvious, many modifications thereof may be indulged in without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 instead of hav-i-ngthe protuberances shown in the other forms, I provideat the top of the shell a plurality of projections or lips 3d put under spring tension and having their upper flatten the same to relieve the resilient fric tional engagement to such an extent as to allow the free normal or automatic ejection of the discharged shell from the gun barrel.

4. A gun shell for use in the break breech ,type of shot guns comprising an element on the outer surface of the body of the shell of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the shell wherebywhen the shell is insertedinto the breecl-rof the gun such "element will trictiona lly engage the walls of the gun barrel and prevent the shell from slipping out of the gun barrel by gravity; 7

.the element .being of such construction that upon the firing of the shell, the percussion Will flatten the: element to a diameter. substantially that of the shell body.

In testimony whereof I afiiX signature;

BENJAMIN F. SCHMIDT.

ends turned inwardly to prevent any possibility of the same catching the sides of the gun barrel. These small spring lips will also give the necessary resiliency to frictionally hold the shell in place against dropping out by gravity and .at the same time after the explosion of the shell they i will :be flattened out so that the shell "may be readily ejected.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire .to secure by Letters Patent is: w

' 1. A gun cartridge of the type described comprising a slight protuberance on the enter surface of the shell of the cartridge to frict-ionally engage the gun barrel, such protuberance being so formed that the pressure of the shell against the gun barrel occasioned by the firing of the cartridge will flatten the same into the plane surface of the shell' 2. A .gun cartridge of the type described comprising :a means integral with the shell of the cartridge to cause a resilient frictional engagement of the shell with a barrel .SllffiClGIll) to keep it from sliding out of the breech of the gun when the barrel is vertically inclined.

3. A gun cartridge :of the "type described comprising a means integral with the shell of the ,cartridge to cause .a' resilient frictional engagement of the shell with a gun :barrel sufiicient to keep .it from sliding out of the breech of the gun when the barrel is ver- I 'tical ly inclined, such 3 means zbeing so arranged that the expansion of the shell occasioned by the firing of the cartridge will 

